Wire fence



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

L L I w K m AF RE m A l lNuModel.)

Patenied June 9, 1896.

(No Mo'del.) 2 Sheets-Shet 2.

' J. A. BRAOKBIL L. WIRE PENGE.

No. 561,757. Patentedfiu'ne 9, 1896.

UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

JOSIAH A. BRACKBILL, OF KINZERS, PENNSYLVANIA.

WIRE FENCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 561 ,757, dated June 9,1896.

Application filed anuary 28, 1896. Serial No. 577,156. (No model.)

To all whmn, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JosIAH A. BRACKBILL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Kinzers, in the county of Lancaster and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain Improveinents in Wire Fences, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in devices for securing wires tothe pickets and posts of wire fences and to the construction of saidposts; and the object of the improvement is to construct a lightportable fence which can readily be put up and taken down, so thattemporary inclosures, so frequently needed on a farm, can be constructedwith ease and rapidity.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of thevarious parts, as hereinafter fully described, and then pointed out inthe claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification,Figure 1 is a front elevation of a picket embodying my invention showingthe locking-bar in position to be engaged by the fence-wire; Fig. 2, aside View of a section of the picket shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a secondfront View, but showing the fence-wires locked in the picket; Fig. 4, aside View of a section of the picket shown in Fig. 3; Fig. 5, a faceView of a detached portion of the locking-bar, and Fig. 6 a similar sideView of a section of the locking-bar. Fig. '7 is a top View of one ofthe supportingplates. Fig. 8 is a perspective View of a modifiedconstruction of the picket. Fig. 813) is a face View of amodifiedconstruction for raising the locking-bar. Fig. 9 is a vertical sectionof the base and the lower end of a post embodying my invention; and Fig.10, a top plan View of the base, the post being shown in section. Fig.11 is a horizontal section of a triangular post embodying my invention.

Similar letters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2, 3, at, 9, and 10, A indicates an uprighttubular case having horizontal slots 0, in the periphery thereof andrecesses a, forming vertical extensions of said slots. In the case is avertically mow able locking-bar B ,havin g notches 1?, arranged toregister with horizontal slots a. One end ,slots a opposite recesses a.

of locking-bar B is threaded, and the bar is adjusted in one directionlongitudinally of the case by 'a nut b, engaging the threaded end ofsaid bar and bearing on the end of the case, as illustrated in Figs. 1and 8. In operating, the locking-bar is so set that bearing-shoulders Z1of notches Z2 range with the sides of The wires D are then pushedsidewise into slots at until they register with said recesses a, asshown at d, Fig. 2, when the locking-bar is drawn upward by turning nutI), thus forcing wires D into recesses a, as shown at d, Fig. 4c, andlocking them there. To secure wires D more firmly in recesses a, thebearing-shoulders b of notches b may have their sides beveled, as seenat 19 Fig. 3, so that the ridges on bearing-shoulders 11 form bends inwires D after the locking-bar draws them into recesses a. IVhenbearing-shoulders b are fiat, the supportingsurfaces for wires D may belengthened by placing plates D on said shoulders before or at the timeof inserting wires D, as illustrated at d Figs. 1 and 8. hen it isdesired to release the fence-wires, nut Z2 is loosened and thelocking=bar is pushed into the case.

In Fig. 8 is represented a rectangular case E, having one face open, theslots e and recesses e being formed in the edges of the sides E adjacentto said open face. The lockingbar F, having notches f, corresponds withthe shape of caseE and has a reduced end f, threaded and engaged by anut F, bearing on a cap-plate F resting on an end of case E. The wiresin this construction are secured and released in the same manner as inthe construction shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

Figs. 9 and 10 illustrate my invention applied to a post. Here the caseA is inserted in the tubular post G of the base, and is prevented fromdropping to the bottom of post G by an annular flange g on the caseengaging the top of said post, or by the bottom of the post engaging anannular shoulder g in the post, so that there is space, if necessary,for the lower end of the locking-bar to be depressed below the bottom ofcase A. Stops, as the annular shoulder 9 may be employed to limit thedownward movement of the locking-bar to insure the registering of thenotches therein with the grooves in the case. The foot of the base isformed of horizontally-flaring wings G, so that for temporary use thepost can be set on the ground and, if neces sary, weighted, or, if it isto be a permanent erection, the foot can be buried beneath the surfaceof the ground and the wings G covered with earth to preserve the post inan erect position. The case may be engaged with the post in any othersuitable manner, as I do not restrict myself to the connection shown andherein described, for there are many other ways in which the same resultmay be attained.

Fig. 11 shows a horizontal section of a triangular case and locking-bar,which latter, with the free edges Ref the case, are notched and slottedin a mannersimilar to that shown in Fig. 8.

In the pickets any well-known device may be employed to limit thedownward movement of the l0cking-baras, for instance, an annularshoulder, such as is shown at 9 Fig. 9, may be located'in the case, or astud in the case may be engaged with a groove in the locking-bar, saidgroove being open at the free end of the locking-bar, as is common.

As it is evident that many changes in the construction and relativearrangement of parts might be resorted to without departing from thespirit and scope of my invention, I would have it understood that I donot restrict myself to the particular construction and arrangement ofparts shown and described, but that I reserve the right to make suchchanges, and that \Vhat 1 claim as new, and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is

l. The combination, in a wire fence, of a picket or post having achannel lengthwise thereof and an open-ended slot extending through aside thereof in ward through opposite walls of said channel, so that awire may be inserted sidewise in the slot, said slot havin g recessesopening into its inner ends and at an angle therewith, alongitudinally-movable locking-bar in said channel, and a shoulder onthe locking-bar, constructed to register with the side of said slotopposite to that into which said recesses open, said shoulder beingadapted to force the Wire into said recesses, substantially as and forthe purpose specified.

2. The combination, in a wire fence, of a picket or post having achannel lengthwise thereof and an open-ended slot extending through aside thereof inward through opposite walls of said channel, so that awire may be inserted sidewise in the slot, said slot having recessesopening into its inner ends and at an angle therewith, alongitudinally-movable locking-bar in said-channel, and a shout der onthe locking-bar, constructed to register with the side of said slotopposite to that into which said recesses open, the edges of theshoulder parallel with the sides of the slot being beveled, and saidshoulder being adapted to force the wire into said recesses,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination, in a wire fence, of a picket or post having achannel lengthwise thereof and an open-ended slot extending through aside thereof inward through opposite walls of said channel, so that awire may be inserted sidewise in the slot, said slot having recessesopening into its inner ends and at an angle therewith, alongitudinally-movable lockingbar in said channel, a shoulder on thelocking-bar, constructed to register with the side of said slot oppositeto that into which said recesses open, the shoulder being adapted toforce the wire into said recesses, and a bearing-plate on said shoulderand extending beyond the sides of the picket or post, substantially asand for the purpose speciii ed.

JOSIAH A. BRAOKBILL.

itnesses:

O. G. BAssLER, TM. R. GERHART.

